Surveillance digicam footage seems to contradict the official story of a crash involving a Chicago police officer and a Chevy Equinox. The unique story, as reported by CBS Information on June 22 when the crash occurred, was that the Equinox was driving west on Monroe Road and crashed into the police automotive heading south on Kostner Avenue, sending each automobiles spinning into different parked automobiles. Police cited the Equinox driver for driving with out insurance coverage and two different counts, based on Fox 32.
Nonetheless, Fox 32 additionally acquired video from surveillance cameras at a comfort retailer at that intersection that tells a quite totally different story. The Equinox stopped on the intersection with Kostner Avenue, allowed cross visitors to move, then proceeded slowly into the intersection. The Chicago police automotive entered the intersection at a excessive price of velocity whereas passing stopped visitors, slamming into the aspect of the Equinox already within the intersection. Then each automobiles spun and crashed into parked automobiles, similar to the unique report stated.
The primary parked automotive they hit was a Volkswagen Taos with Danielle Howse, her fiancé and their three kids inside. They have been hospitalized in truthful situation, and the VW is totaled. There isn’t a info on accidents to the Equinox driver or the police officer, however deployed airbags in each automobiles are seen within the surveillance video. Airbags wouldn’t go off in a parked automotive, and there can be no purpose to be carrying seat belts.
Police seem to have run a cease signal
The surveillance digicam video within the Fox 32 information clip is fairly grainy, so I turned to Google Road View for a greater take a look at this intersection.
The above view is much like one of many angles from the surveillance video. Word the cease signal on the proper aspect of the picture for southbound visitors on Kostner. Monroe is a one-way road, and we will see the again of a cease signal there as effectively.
Beneath is the view northbound on Kostner simply earlier than the intersection with Monroe. That is the path the Chicago police cruiser was touring. Cease indicators are clearly seen on each side of the highway and on each side of the intersection. A Road View picture from 2015 exhibits no cease indicators on Kostner Avenue, however the 2024 picture exhibits them each.
These photos, plus the surveillance video, present not solely that the officer entered the intersection at a excessive price of velocity, but in addition ignored these cease indicators and didn’t examine for cross visitors earlier than continuing. The Equinox driver stopped, then proceeded after they believed the intersection was clear, doubtless unable to see the fast-moving cruiser across the stopped visitors on Kostner. Primarily based on the cruiser’s velocity and the Equinox driver not reacting in any respect earlier than the crash, it is doubtless the Equinox driver by no means noticed the officer.
Cop cover-up
We do not know why the Chicago police officer was driving as quick or recklessly as they have been. However even in a pursuit, police are accountable for conserving the general public secure. That is why many departments have strict guidelines about when a pursuit is justified, and why New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James has proposed a statewide ban aside from very particular circumstances.
We might need to see extra of the surveillance footage to make sure, but it surely does not seem like there was any pursuit concerned right here, simply quick driving. Fox 32 says the cruiser’s emergency lights have been on, although I cannot see them clearly within the video myself. The video has no sound, so we do not know if the siren was on. If it was, that would have been a clue to the Equinox driver to pay nearer consideration. Then once more, sirens are so frequent within the metropolis that they will additionally mix into the background noise. Regardless, there isn’t any purpose for anybody to cost by means of a cease signal and throughout an intersection that quick, even a cop.
Even worse, Chicago police to date proceed responsible the Equinox driver for hitting the cruiser, regardless of clear video proof that the cruiser T-boned the Equinox at excessive velocity. It’s miles from the primary time police have lied, and sadly, it in all probability will not be the final.
